Electrical circuit controller



June 26, 1928.

L. V. LEWIS ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Aug. 20, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR f M ATTORNEY June'26; 1928.

L. V. LEWIS ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Aug. 20, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: gt-

AA; ATTORNEY- June 26, 1928.

L. V. LEWIS ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Aug. 20, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 1 aC- A 4 ATTORNEY June 26, 1928. 1,674,783

L. v. LEWIS ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Aug. 20, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.5.

INVENTOR I H la ATTORNEY June 26, 1928. 11674,?83

L. V. LEWIS ELECTRICAL C IRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Aug. 20, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fzlq. II.

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Fag 9 INVENTORI 4- Wm,

BY F z ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATE S PATENT GFFECE.

LLOYD V. LEWIS, OF EDGEIYOOD BORCUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SXVISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Application filed August 20, 1925.

My invention relates to electrical circuit controllers.

I will describe one form of electrical circuit controller embodying my invention, and willthenpoint out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top planview of one form of circuit controller embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section along the line III-J11 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating in top plan and in vertical section, respectively, the bushing G of the circuit cont-roller shown in the preceding views. Fig. 6 is a frag mental view illustrating a portion of the crank D. Figs. 7 and 8 are a top plan view and a front elevation, respectively, of the cam C and the cam shaft 18. Fig. 9 is a top planview of the driver structure for operating the contact mechanism. Fig. 10 is an end view of the driver structure shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a view, showing in top plan, a portion of the circuit controller with the parts in the positions which they occupy when the rocker arm R'is swung to its righthand position.

Similar reference characters refer to simi lar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and '3, the eircuit'controller comprises a housing A and a cover B. The bottom plate 1 of the housing A carries a boss 32 containing a hole 33 which communicates with the interior of the housing. A bushing G (see also Figs. 4 and 5) comprises a barrel 34, journalled in the'hole 33, and'a flange 35. The bushing G, is bored at 34 (Fig. 5) to receive the shaft- 18 of the cam C. The upper end of this shaft 18, as seen in Fig. 3, is provided with a shoulder 17 which abuts the inner sun face of the bottom plate 1 of the circuit controllerhousing. The opposite end of the cam shaft 18 is threaded at to receive a castle nut 31 by means of which the cam shaft is rigidly attachedto the bushing G; A key 43 in shaft 18 enters a keyway 42 in bushing G'to lock the'shaft to the bushing.

The crank D is bored at D (Fig. 6) to receive boss 32, and is held against the outsidefac'epf'theplate 1 bythe flange 35"of bushing GI packing ring 37 isplaced between the head of'the crank D and the Serial No. 51,517.

face of plate 1 to protect the bearing sur faces from the elements. As best shown in Fig. 6 the head 36 of the crank D is provided with a plurality of spaced threaded holes 44. A cover 39 is attached to the head 36 by two screws 38 which pass through two diametrically opposite holes in cover 39 and may be threaded into any pair of the holes 44.

The screws 38 perform the function of providing an adjustable driving connection between crank D and cam shaft 18. As shown in Fig. 4 the flange 35 of the bushing G is provided at its edge with a plurality of spaced notches 40. The shoulder 35, as has already been seen, extends over the edge of the head 36 of the crank D. The notches 40 are so proportioned and the parts are so arranged that the screws 38 enter the notches 40. It will. therefore be seen that when crank D is swung about the bearing 32, the bushing G, and therefore the shaft 18, are rotated about their axes. The screws 38 may be inserted in any of the holes 44 and in any of the notches 40 so that the position of the bushing G, and hence the position of the cam C, with respect to the crank D may be varied. To accomplish this adjustment the screws 38 are withdrawn, and the crank vD and the bushing G are then adjusted to the proper relative positions. The screws 38 are then replaced in whichever pair of holes 44 happen to register with the notches 40. The angular spacing of the holes 44in the crank D is different from the angular spacing of notches 40 in bushing G. As here shown the holes 44 are 40 degrees apart and the notches 40 are 30 degrees apart, and it therefore follows that adjustment in steps of 10 degrees may be conveniently and accurately made in the relative position of the crank D and the cam shaft 18.

The crank bearing is supplied with lubri cant from a-grease cup D screwed into the head 36. This lubricant is distributed to the moving surfaces by an annular groove 32 in bearing shoulder 32' and by flutes 41 in the barrel 34 of bushing G. I

Rigidly attachedto the end of. the cam shaft 18fis the cam C. This cam comprises a flat disk having asubstantially circular cam surface 19'pr0vided with a cam swell 20. as shown in Fig. 7. i

Projecting inwardly. from the bottom platel of the circuit controller is a bearing next 16 best illustrated in 2. A rocker is mounted to oscillate on this post and are so proportioned that when one l e rollers 23 or 2-3 engages the cam 9 of cam C the other roller lVith the parts in the poidustratei in the drawi the cam ts central position. If the cam C is n a clockwise direction as viewed the roller 23 rides up on the swell roller drops down on to the cam The rocker R is therefore swung to the right about the post 16. If, on the other hand, the cam C is swung in a counter clockwise. direction as viewed in Fig. 1 from the position in which itis illustrated in the drawing, the roller 23 engages the swell 20 and the roller 23" engages the cam surface 19. The rocker R is then swung to the left about the post 16. The rocker t comprises an arm 24 having a. bifurcated tip arranged to receive the end of a. coil spring 28 which is retained in the tip by pin 26. The other end of the spring 28 attached to the center of a. U-shaped yoke 27 (see also Fig. 11). A bracket K attached by screws to the housing A, is provided with two bearing notches 29, as best shown in Fig. 2, to receive the ends of the legs the oke 27. The parts are so arranged that the bearing notches 29 for the yoke 27 are between the points of connection of he ends of spring 28. The rocker arm 2 1, spring 28, and the yoke 27 therefore comprise a. toggle. As the rocker arm 24v is moved, for example from right to left (Fig. 11), yoke 27 will remain in its right hand position until arm 24 has passed slightly beyond mid stroke to a position where both ends of spring 28 and yoke 27 are in the same straight line. This is a. position of unstable equilibrium, and a slight additional movement of rocker arm 24 will cause the yoke 27 to snap quickly from its right hand normal position against stop K to its left hand normal position against stop K thereby securing av quick reversal of the contacts and insuring that yoke 27 will be against either stop K or K for all positions of arm 24-.

The bracket K carries a spindle 9 upon which is pivoted a. U-shaped driving member 11 providec with an extension 14 having a forked end arranged to engage the yoke 27. As the yoke 27 is reversed, driving member 11 therefore corresponding- 1y oscillates about the spindle 9. Attached to the upright ends of driving member 11 are two insulating bars 12 and 13 which bars are arranged to control a contact mechanism which I will now describe.

Fastened in spaced relation on the inside of the housing A are two insulating strips 's-raves and 2. Referring particularly to strip 2, this strip carries at its center a bracket 4 to which is attached a flexible contact finger 3. The strip 2 also carries two fixed contact members 6 and? disposed adjacent the two ends respectively of the flexible contact finger 3. Binding posts 5 supported by the strip may be used to connect the finger 3 and the fixed contact members 5 and 7 with an exterior circuit. In similar manner the strip 2 carries a bracket 4 to which a flexible contact finger 3 is attached adjacent its center. Fixed contact members 6 and 7 are arranged adjacent the two ends of the finger 3. Insulating bars 12 and 13 attached to the driving member 11 are PIOVlClQCl as shown in Figs. 3 and 9, with slots which receive the two contact fingers 3 and 3 at points adjacent the fixed contact members 6 and 6 \Vith the parts in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, the cam C is in an intermediate position so that the rocker R is also in an intermediate position. The yoke 27 and member 11 are also for simplicity shown in the central position in Fig. 1, but as a matter of fact yoke 27 will always occupy one extreme position or the other as controlled by spring 28, so that linger 3 will be at all times in contact with either member 6 or member 7 except for the instant of reversal, while finger 3 will similarly be in contact with member 7 or with member 6*. To describe the operation, I will assume that the crank I) is swung upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1. The cam C is therefore moved in a clockwise direction so that rocker arm 2% of rocker R swings to the right. The yoke 27 will therefore also swing to the right so that the lower end of driving member 11 swings to the right, opening contacts 37 and 3 6 and closing contacts 36 and 3 7 If, now, crank D is moved downwardly as viewed in Fig. 1, the cam C will move in a counter clockwise direction. This motion however will have no effect upon the operation of the circuit controller until the swell of the cam engages the roller 23. \Vhen this happens the rocker R will be swung around the post 16 as a pivot so that the rocker arm. 24 will be swung to the left. This motion of the arm will have no effect upon the position of the yoke 27 until the parts are in such position that the pin 26 in arm 24 is in the plane of the yoke 27. The yoke 27 will now be in unstable equilibrium and a slight fur ther motion of the arm 24 as the cam C continues to rotate will cause the yoke 27 to snap over to its left hand position, carrying with it driving member 11 which now closes contacts 37 and 36*, and opens contacts 3-6 and 3 As the motion of the crank D continues, no further change takes place in the position of any of the other parts of the circuit controller because rocker R, having once been swung to the extreme position; no further motion of the crank D alters the position of this arm, the rollers 23 and 23 moving along the surface of cam C without altering the position of the rocker B.

One feature of my invention is that when the yoke 27 is in one extreme position the rocker arm 24 must be moved past its central position to a position wherein the tip of this arm in the plane of the yoke be fore the toggle will operate to snap the yoke to its other extreme position and operate the contact mechanism, so that crank D may be moved from either extreme position to mid position, and slightly beyond the mid position without reversing the contacts, but must be moved a predetermined distance beyond the mid position in order to reverse the contacts.

Another feature of my invention is that due to the novel construction of the crank hearing, all strains and thrusts due to vibrations or stress upon the crank are absorbed by the bearing shoulder 32 and are not transmitted to the cam C or the cam shaft 18.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of electrical circuit controller embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A circuit controller comprising a flexible contact linger supported adjacent its center, two fixed contact members one adjacent each end of said linger, a toggle, and means controlled by said toggle for swinging one end or the other of said linger into engagement with the associated fixed contact member.

2. A circuit controller comprising a flexible contact linger supported adjacent its center, two fixed contact members one adjacent each end of said linger, a pivoted supported element, two fixed insulating bars carried by said element and operatiyely connected with said finger one adjacent each end thereof, and a toggle for swinging said element about its pivot whereby one end or the other of said finger engages the associated fixed contact member.

3. A circuit controller comprising a fixed post, a rocker arm pivoted on said post, a flat yoke, a spring having one end attached to the tip of said rocker arm and the other end attached to said yoke. a fixed bracket having bearing notches intermediate the ends of said spring for supporting said yoke, a rotatable cam for moving the tip of said arm to one side or the other of the yoke, and a contact mechanism controlled by said yoke.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LLOYD V. LEWIS. 

